1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a tape cartridge which is mounted on a cartridge mounting section of a tape printer and is used for printing by the tape printer.
2. Background Art
The following configuration has been known as a tape cartridge in the related art which is mounted on a cartridge mounting section of a tape printer (JP-A-2012-20543).
The tape cartridge includes a tape body in which a print tape is wound around a tape core, a ribbon body in which an ink ribbon is wound around a ribbon feeding core, a ribbon winding core around which a used ink ribbon is wound, a platen roller which feeds and conveys the print tape from the tape core, and a cartridge case which receives the tape body, the ribbon body, the ribbon winding core, and the platen roller.
The cartridge case has a lower case as a seat side and an upper case corresponding to the lower case. In the lower case, a hollow tape bearing portion that rotatably supports the tape body is integrally formed. The center of the tape bearing portion (tape body) and the center of the platen roller are disposed to cross an imaginary line connecting two gripping portions of the cartridge case when viewed in a mounting direction.
When the tape cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting section, the tape bearing portion, the platen roller, and the ribbon wind core engage with (are fitted to) a positioning protrusion of the cartridge mounting section, a platen drive shaft, and a ribbon winding drive shaft, respectively.
In such a tape cartridge according to the related art, since the tape body is the heaviest among elements of the tape cartridge, there is a high possibility of being supported to be inclined. That is, when the tape cartridge is gripped with a finger in mounting the tape cartridge, there is a high possibility that a side on which the tape roll is disposed is likely to be inclined due to gravity unless the tape cartridge is consciously gripped to be horizontal. For this reason, in the tape cartridge according to the related art, there is a high possibility that the tape bearing portion will begin to be fitted to the positioning protrusion prior to fitting of the platen roller to the platen drive shaft. Therefore, unless the tape bearing portion is accurately positioned with respect to the positioning protrusion, there is a problem in that the operation of mounting the tape cartridge is troublesome, such that the platen roller is stuck in the platen drive shaft, fine adjustment of fingertips is forced, or the like.
An object of the present invention is to provide a tape cartridge capable of easily being mounted on a mounting section of a tape printer.